Black-out screen



Dec. 14, 1943. M, sTgRlg 2,336,890

BLACKOUT SCREEN Filed Feb. 17. 1942 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 warren stares rarest orries arson-our scanner Morris Stern, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 17, 1942, Serial No. 431,251 (c1. 160-243) 3 Glaims.

This invention relates to an opaque screen adapted to be placed across a window to prevent the transmission of light and thereby provide for a safety blackout in case of attack. The objects of the invention are to provide such screen in a form which may be manufactured economically and sold cheaply; which may be readily rolled into a comparatively small space for sale or storage; which may be very quickly and simply attached to the window casing; which may be rolled up out of the way above the window when not in active use and may be secured tightly across the window when active.

My screen is composed of an opaque flexible sheet provided with bars at its opposite ends by which it may be readily attached above the window and secured tightly across it at the bottom, and associated with the screen are cords permanently attached to the upper bar and arranged to raise and lower the screen, with a result that a self-contained device is provided ready for instant mounting merely by the insertion of a pair of screw hooks into the casing of the window. The bar at the lower end of the screen is provided with a fastening device available to pull the screen tight against the window, irrespective of whether the screen is the length of the window or materially longer with the excess rolled up at the bottom. This enables a standard product to be marketed available for windows of various lengths and widths.

The above outlined features and other details of my invention are more fully set out in the following description of a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a perspective of my screen mounted on a window casing and rolled up in idle position at the top of the window; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the screen in its lowered or active position covering the window; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the screen itself in its rolled up position, this view looking at the side of the screen which is adjacent the window in use; Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections through the screen when attached and lowered into blackout position, the planes of the sections being indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the screen fabric, being broken away in two regions to indicate the laminated formation.

As shown in the drawing the fabric of the screen designated I8 is a laminated member made up of two outside sheets I 0a, and lb of crinkled or crepe paper and an intermediate layer ldc of asphaltic or similar opaque material. Such laminated paper is on the market and in use as a wrapping paper for shipping purposes.

The sheet ii! is wrapped at its opposite ends about two transverse flattened bars Etand 30 to which such ends are secured, preferably by tacks. The bar 29 has two openings through it adjacent its opposite ends, each opening being reinforced by an eyelet 2 I. These eyeleted'openings provide ready means for supporting the screen on hooks 49 which may be screwed into the lintel A of the window casing.

The bar 36 at the lower end of the screen projects beyond the edges of the screen and at each side thereof has an opening protected by an eyelet 3!. A cord 32 extends freely through this eyelet and has a knot at each end, designated 33 and 3% in Fig. 5. When the screen is in its active position across the window the bar 39 will be a short distance above the window sill A and then the cord is pulled across the edge of the window sill and attached to a suitable clip 42 secured to the window casing. There is shown such clip as a hooked bifurcated member so that the cord 32, when pulled down, may be readily passed into it with the knot 34 beneath the arms of the clip.

Fig. 5 indicates the attachin operation just described. The bar may be at the extreme lower end of the fabric (in case the full length Of the screen is used) or the bar may be rolled up on the fabric one or more turns, as shown in Fig. 4. Due to the eyelets 3i and the free knotted cord, it makes no difference which side of the bar 36) faces the window as the cord may always be pulled rearwardly and downwardly to hold the screen taut and against the window casing.

As heretofore mentioned, I provide self-contained means for rolling up the screen into idle position at the top of the window, so that it may be instantly available for blackout purposes whenever necessary. The means comprises a pair of screw eyes 25 attached to the upper bar 29 and a pair of cords 26 attached to the upper bar and passing downwardly around the lower bar 30, thence upwardly through the screw eyes and thence downwardly in front of the screen. The attachment of the cords 2Q to the bar is readily effected by tying them to the shanks of the screw eyes 25.

It will be seen that a downward pull on the free ends of the two cords 2t causes them to travel freely through the screw eyes and thus pull up on the bar 3i), which rolls up the screen into the position shown in Fig. 1. When rolled up the free ends ofthe cords 25 are attached to suitable anchorages secured to the window frame as, for instance, the two oppositely facing screw hooks 45.

It will be seen that my screen with its bars and raising cords and tightening cords is a self-contained unit adapted for ready mounting on the window frame. By selling with the unit the screw hooks for supporting the screen and for securing the raising cords and the clips and attaching screws for anchoring the lower ends of the tie cords, I provide the purchaser with an entire equipment ready for mounting on the window casing. When mounted, the rolled' up screen remains in place out of the way ready for immediate use. When lowered and the tie cords 'attached, the opaque fabric lying closely against the window casing forms an effective blackout protection.

7 I claim:

'1. A blackout screen comprising a sheet of opaque fabric, means for securing the upper end thereof at the top of a window, a bar at the lower end of the fabric, said bar extending beyond the vertical edges of the fabric and there provided with openings, fastening cords extending freely through said openings and provided with stops on opposite sides of the openings so that the cord may pull through the bar toward the window irrespective of the position of the bar.

2. A blackout screen comprising a sheet of continuous opaque material, bars secured to opposite ends of the sheet, respectively, a pair Of eyes on the upper bar, a pair of raising cords secured to the upper bar looped about the lower bar thence passing through said eyes, and a pair of tying cords carried by the lower bar near its opposite ends, whereby when the upper bar is attached to a window casing above the window the screen may be raised and lowered and when lowered may be retained in position across the window.

3. A blackout screen comprising an opaque laminated sheet made of a layer of opaque asphaltic material with paper on opposite faces thereof, bars secured to opposite ends of the sheet, respectively, the upper bar having holes through it by which it may be mounted on hook carried by window casing, the lower bar projecting beyond the screen, openings in such projecting portions and cords freely slidable through said openings, whereby the screen may be held snugly against th casing irrespective of which face of the lower bar is adjacent the casing, and cords attached to the upper bar and looped around the lowerbar and thenpassing freely through eyes carried by the upper bar to raise the screen.

MORRIS STERN. 

